Reviews

Expert reviews of the latest digital cameras, lenses, lighting products, accessories, phones, photography-editing software, and more. PetaPixel tests state-of-the-art products in the photo industry and provides insights and recommendations for photographers to make informed purchasing decisions.

TTArtisan 10mm f/2 APS-C Review: An Affordable Ultra-Wide Lens

I like wide-angle lenses. So, when Pergear asked me to review the TTArtisan APS-C 10 mm lens, I gladly accepted. In this article, I will share my user experiences and feelings about the lens, construction, etc. This is not a technical review as I am not equipped for that.

Nikon vs Canon vs Sony 135mm lenses

The Battle of the 135mm Lenses: Which Lens Takes the Portrait Podium?

The 135mm focal length is one of my favorite portrait ranges due to its compressed rendering of people’s faces, as well as lending itself to stunningly dramatic full-body environmental portraits. Last year saw the release of two new 135mm lenses, one each from Canon and Nikon. Take into account the venerable Sony 135mm G Master and you have all three of the major full-frame mirrorless companies now offering a 135mm f/1.8 lens.

DJI Ronin 4D 8K review

DJI Ronin 4D 8K Review: A Stable Platform Gets a Resolution Boost

I’ve been in the camera review game for a decade and a half and while the pleasure of checking out new gear hasn’t diminished, it’s very rare for me to be truly excited about a new camera. Well, that happened two years ago with the DJI Ronin 4D release, and now we have an impressive new 8K version to check out.

Forbidden Canon RF AF lenses.

Reviewing The Forbidden Lenses That Canon Doesn’t Want You to Have

Many camera manufacturers choose to support, or at least turn a blind eye to, third-party lens makers. Some even wholeheartedly embrace them. However, Canon has infamously taken a stance to deny third-party manufacturers access to its RF mount. The fascinating twist is that many companies were beginning to produce manual and autofocusing lenses before the crack-down, creating an exclusive market of very rare lenses that hit the streets before the curtain fell.

Panasonic Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 Vario in the field

Best Kit Lenses of All Time: My Five Favorites

We all have to start somewhere. For most of us, that means a basic DSLR or mirrorless camera kit with a compact, handy general-purpose zoom lens. Undoubtedly, we can't wait to ditch our basic kit lens for something faster or more versatile. A kit lens is something we feel we need to graduate from to call ourselves an accomplished photographer. But is that really the case? Maybe the humble kit lens has more to offer than we think, so today we will look at our five favorite kit lenses of all time.

Revisiting Nikon’s Legendary D700 DSLR 15 Years After Its Release

My first digital ILC (interchangeable lens camera) was the Nikon D40, which I purchased during my senior year of high school in late 2007. That camera was followed by the Canon T2i (550D), which I bought in 2010, primarily because of Canon’s significantly more advanced video features; I have always been an active filmmaker as well as a photographer. Like most people, my first two lenses for each of these cameras were the kit 18-55mm zoom and a cheap nifty-fifty prime lens, so the cost of switching systems wasn’t exactly high.

Asus ProArt PD5 PC Review

Asus ProArt Station PD5 Review: Not Much More Than a Pretty Face

When Asus launched the updated ProArt Station PD5 earlier this fall, it looked poised to deliver a powerful, accessible machine to creative professionals. Unfortunately, despite lofty and worthwhile goals, the ProArt Station PD5 is not quite the impressive machine I had hoped for.

Leica Q3

Leica Q3 Review From a Canon Photographer: Hit and Miss

Like many photographers, I've spent years hunting the impossible combination: a high-quality camera that's also compact. Must haves: a great sensor and a wide aperture wide angle lens. Today, I’ll walk you through the meandering journey that eventually led me to the Leica Q3.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Review: Compact, Capable, Powerful

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 skips the smartphone as a capture device and uses an integrated camera, essentially taking the front of a DJI drone and mounting it to a control stick. It is also one of the few creator gimbals I like and love using.

Why Global Shutter Matters

Using the Sony a9 III for Concerts as Dave Matthews Band’s Photographer

Like most photographers, I’ve never reviewed a piece of gear before. Also like most photographers, I tend to voraciously read reviews each time I consider upgrading. Many of these reviews parse through micro-level analysis of pixel detail, noise levels, and test charts but to me fail to answer the simple question: “will this help me get the shot?”

Best and Worst of 2023

The Best and Worst Cameras and Lenses of 2023

Where has the time gone? It's been ten years since Jordan and I started our annual roundup of the best and worst products in our industry. Every year we give our opinions on the cameras we feel deserve the top spot as well as any honorable mentions that have also made a positive impression. Perhaps even more exciting, though, is our vote for the most infamous photo and video products of the year.

DJI Mini 4 Pro Review: Ultra-Light Without Compromises

The DJI Mini 4 Pro is a drone I’ve been looking forward to flying for a while. Weighing in at under 250g, while still featuring a powerful and capable camera, the Mini 4 Pro packs a lot of features into a tiny body. But can a drone that only weighs a few ounces really deliver quality photos and videos?

Fujifilm GFX 100 II

Fujifilm GFX 100 II Review: Pushing Medium Format Boundaries

Fujifilm has come to dominate the medium format market and for good reason. Combining the ergonomic controls and autofocusing capabilities of its APS-C cameras with the colossal image quality from the 100-megapixel sensor has paid dividends for the company. Although Fujifilm also uses a 50-megapixel sensor, it's the latest sensors in the GFX 100 line of cameras that steal the show.

Pergear Action Camera Review: 5K and 50MP for Just $80

I think Pergear likes my reviews! Here I am, reviewing an “action camera,” which is the opposite of my habits. But, I review gear and share my honest opinion with all the information in the open.

Sigma 70-200mm Review

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG DN OS Sports Lens Review: Long Awaited

Sony is on its second version of a pro-level 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master lens. Tamron recently released its second 70-180 f/2.8 G2 lens. A professional 70-200mm f/2.8 was one of the first lenses released by Panasonic for its Lumix full-frame bodies. And in all this time, where has Sigma been? Well, the wait is over. Sigma has finally released the 70-200mm f/2.8 DG DN OS Sports series lens, but was it worth the wait?

Pentax 50mm Review

Pentax 50mm FA f/1.4 HD and Classic Review: A Tale of Two Fifties

I consider myself an ardent supporter of Ricoh/Pentax products and have always endeavored to review its cameras and lenses when many others have chosen not to. I also think that the Pentax brand has really found its niche as more of a boutique manufacturer, focusing on the classic SLR design -- a move that I think makes a ton of sense in today's waning market.

Sony a9 III Hands-On: Finally, An Actual Game-Changer

This week, Sony announced the a9 III featuring the world's first full-frame 24-megapixel sensor to feature a global shutter in a interchangeable lens mirrorless camera. There have only been a few times in my reviewing career where I would, in all seriousness, call something an actual game-changer. This is certainly one of those moments.